Ship-raising mechanism.



5. T. COWLES.

SHIP RAlSlNG NIECHANISM.

APPLxcATloN Flu-:D JUNE 29, 1917.

Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

1. T. COWLESI SHIPRAISING MEcHA'msM.-

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. 1917. V

Patented Mar. 5, 1918 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

www?.

J. T. COWLES.

SHIP RAISING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29,1911.

l ,258 l 9'? I' A l Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

3 SHEETS-*SHEET 3.-

@ ffy/M /Mf/ l To dll enligne may concern.' i

colma. cownns, or marcado, mLmoIs.

' smnaisme meenemen.

Be i known that I, JOHN T. Goms, a. citizen ofthe United States, residing at C hicago, in the conntyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain newy and useful, Improvements inV Ship-,Raising AMechanism, of whichthe followingis a .specilicaf tion...l I n My invention .relates to av mechanism for raising sunken` ships, and the like, and has -for its object `the provision of simple yand eiiicient means of the character mentioned adapted to be' operable4 from the 'surface of' water in which af ship" is sunk and which is capable of raisingsuch sunken ships. n

Other objectswill appear hereinafter.

'i A11-embodiment lof my-invention is indi- 4cated in the accompanying drawings forming, a part of this specilication, and 'in which-. 1 .Y

Fi re 1 is `a. side elevation of a piercing -mein erv or harpoon embodying my 4invenship, or `the like.

of the `top tionv with the top ortion broken away. Fig..2.i,s,a side'e evation of the same w1thf central portions broken away` and showing thedevicein engagement with a portion of a Fig. 3 a section taken on line 3-3 of ig. 4 isa section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 5 is a; side elevation of 'a pontoon mountedon `the top portion of 'a piercing member embodying l,my invention.

Fig. 6; isan enlar edtfragrnental section portion o my vpiercing member.v .g7 1s a section of the same taken'on line* -7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 isa fragmental Lview of the top ortion of m piercing member. P Y

Fig. 9 1s an enlarged fragmental section ofthe top portionof my piercing member y, gxjgeiiieationoit Letters Patent.

Patented Maf. 5, 1918.

' Application inea :une as, 191?. `sei-nain.177,678.'

slots 14 I provide a, pivotal arm; 15 vpiwtd as at 16to the part 12. Each of the arms 15 f are substantially alike, and a description of one will -suilice for all.' Asshown' particularly inFig. '10,'the members 15`fajre' each provided with a point. 17 adapted tO'en'g'agQEja shoulder 18 in a slot 14, permittingthfl arm -15 to swing downwardly toa lioriz'ontalll position. The arms 15 are heldl inthe slots`- 14 by means cfa ring. 19. The ring 19Vv is.

provided with a number of prongs v'20 which 1 are ada ted to be engaged b the ortion of a vesse 21 which is pierce' byv t e instruy ment. Upon the prongs 20 engaging the part of the vessel pierced, the' ring 19`isimoved upwardly on the part 12 until -it slips oil' the tops of the armsl 15, permitting the springs 22 to throw the arms 15 outwardlb ntil gravity will move them to their horl-A zontal positions shown in Figs. 2 andl 10.' Since the ring 19 is positioned near thejtops of the. arms 15, the instrument will pass into. 'the ship part '2 1 before the arms 1'5 fall down to their horizontal position, therefore, upon attempting to 4raise the piercing instrument the arms 15 will catch on the innervv yside of the ship part 21 and lift on the latter. After the arms 15 have been free, the ring 19 ordinarily falls down to its full line position shown in Fig. 2. A

The upper end of the portion 13 is slotted as at 23, (see Figs. 6 and 9)- In the slot 23 I provide catches 24,er pivoted as at 25 to the'top of the part 13., These catches 24 are normally pressed away from each other by means of links 26 anda tension sprin 2 The arrangement of said spring an links are clearly' indicated in Figs. 6 and' 9. In order to provide 'a means for lowering the piercing member through the water to a vessel to beraised, I provide a cable 28 vwhich is secured to 'a locking member 29 having a T-shaped head 30 at its-lowerend.

The member 29 and head 30 are formed of such sizes and shapesas will fit under the firmly attached tothe piercing member and rovide a' means for lowering the latter to T-shaped heads-31 of the catches 24." When y the catches 24 are moved toward each other .to'locking engagement with the head 30, it 'will be 'apparent that the cable 28 will be its desired position. lIn order to maintain v the heads 31 in lockingl engagement with e a retaining head 30 I preferably'provi member, such as rm 32. The rin adapted to' encircle t e upper, end o mem- I* ber 13'anden age'tne .remote edgesof the heads 3i, there y holding the latterin lock- 'lindrical member 33 is substantially the. sameas the 'The upper end of member`33 is constricted.

' which, when it is not desired. to use the I ing position with head 30. The means 'for diameter of part 13, so that an article can slip easily from one to the other'.

ticles. over the'shield 33.- The shield 33 is also provided 'with slots 36 in its lojwer end through which the' lowerends 37 of thecatches 24 are. adapted to pass. The shield 33 is provided-withcables 38 vby means of shieldl further, thelatter can be Withdrawn from the part 34 and taken up andgout of lthe way.' Resting on top of part 34 of por- 'guiding member '39 tion .13. is a, conical adapted to facilitate guiding varticles over' lfao Y lparent' that by raising on the piercing member that the-*latter will .indicated in Fig.

vthe shield y 33.- Said guiding member 39 is preferably provided with slots 4Q in which.

zhe'cables 38 may 'pass to prevent articles e Eching on the connecting means between the .cab

In the use of myvdevi'ce the parts are' as- Sembled as indicated in Fig-2, Withfthe eX-j *eption that the arms 15 are in their posi.. tions indicated in Fig; 1. The device' is then lowered to the sunken Vvessel byi the cable 428 and when brought in Contact with 'the'.

on the cable and'lowered until it rides en Tthe ha ,Weight member `41 is provided, with cables It will be api-l vcssel 'a hammering member 41 isplaced portion. 13- of the 'piercing member.

42 for operating the same.

the. weight member 41 'and dropping it against the shoulder 43 be driven into the side o the vessel. After the .member has been driven into' the vessel and the arms 15 brought to their positions top oi the 1rWater and is brought up to the Next the sbield'33fis taken` oil the cable. brought up 'and'taken oil the cable. 'the pontoon 447l shown in 'Fig. 5, is placed around theo-able. moving bolts 45 Vand passing the ring-likeparts 46 around the cable, and then replacing 4the bolts 45. rIhe pontoons 44 are then caused to descend in the wateren the cable of placing siiiiicient weights,

28 by means on them. Such Weights,` of

not shown; course, must be pontoons have been placed in position on cause the pontoon as at 35 in order to facilitate guiding ar z member;

ably l es 38 and the constricted portion 35 of said shield. i

pontoons' vcamse'themto sink, and '-When'jlockedtcn vthe' of. the piercing? member-1, "such watermay `bejl pumped o utand them with Jair, Vthereb7 pe1''xnlttilig-tllelrrtof'v reise t e (While I have'. illustrated Hand :described l such member? ai P01300@ ,t v'said' piercing member; 'aand catches mou nte i in the4 upper (portion of said piercing mein-H The n connecting. ber; a' 'pontoon 'slidably moimted n' the?V cable 'and-adaptedto slide onto the'pircing. member and engage the lockfor d sconnect--v ingQthe cable from the piercing memb'en This may be done by re-4 drawn up again aftertho the piercing member.A The weights fwill 44 vto descend on v cable 28 and slide over .the gaiding member '-39 5' .f VQntoj the portion V13 of t e. piercing'member.

the pontoon isa restrictedi'portionfl which" hasja boreof sufficient size-:to slide overthev substantially' .cylindrical portion' 48 ofgthe gagevthe top' o ring 32 Aand vdrag the latter 31 `'ofthe catches 24.- ;As soonas said spring A.

27 moves the links-'QG` and 'forces the-catches i.' l

'24 from their positions indicated in. Fig. 6

tothatindicated in. Fig. 9.5 This1h0vement- I' same pontoon to fthe' pol'tionf1`3lof fthe, piercing 'leaving the pontoonsecurely fastened tdthejfjn` 5 of the'pi'ercing memberandwith no 'con- `nection with the -top of' the water. v- 41nVA the use. of myld'evice, lj preferablyfuse al suicient number'of'themto c a a,i1se'thel vesseLto i It will be 'apparent thatl when a lsuif-Y'. l cient number of these'devicesare secured to Ship: l

ancy

portion .13,

bei 'engagerelatter. lon said piercing' member,y l i member;v a cable; locking means fdetach'ably member; 'a pontoonsli'dably mountedsnyg said piercing member;f. a cable; aflockmgcatches .munted on' catches in engagement with the locking member; a pontoon slidably mounted on the cable and adapted to move onto the piercing member and disengage said means from said catches and free the locking member. i

' ed on the cable and adapted to move onto the piercing `member and disengage said means from said catches and free the locking member; and means on the catches for engaging the pontoon and locking the latter on said piercing member when said pontoon is on said piercing member.

5. In combination, an elongated piercing member; a cable; lookin means connecting the cable with said pie ing member; a shield over th'e locking means; and a driving member slidably mounted on the cable adapted to pass over said shield and engage the iercing member to drive the latter into an o ject.

6. Incombination, an elongated piercing member; and locking catches pivotally mounted in the upper portion of the piercing member adapted to rock toward each.

other and lock a member inserted therebetween and to rock apart and lock a member passed over said piercingV member.

7. In combination, lan elongated piercing member; locking catches pivotally mounted in the, upper portion of the piercing member adapted to rock toward each other and lock a member inserted therebetween and to rock apart and lock a member passed over said piercing member; resilient means tending to hold said catches in one of their locking positions; and means for holding said catches in their locking positions.

8. In combination, an elongated piercing member; locking catches pivotally mounted in theupper portion of the piercing member adapted to rock toward each other and lock a member inserted therebetween and to rock apart and lock a member passed 'over' said piercing member; resilient means tending tohold said catches in one of their locking positions; means for holding said catchesl in their locking positions; and means for moving said last mentioned means to inoperative position for freeing the catches to the inluences of said resilient means.

9. In combination, an elongated piercing member; a pontoon; ring members on the pontoon and slidably engaging the piercing member; land catches-in the piercing member engaging one of said ring members and locking the pontoon to said piercing member.

l0. In combination, an elongated piercing member having a slot in its upper end; two catches spaced apart and pivoted in said slot; Va locking member extending between said catches; a cable secured to said locking member; a spring connected with said catches and tending to hold the latter apart; a ring encircling the top of the piercing member and holding the catches in locking engagement with said locking members; and means for moving said ring ont of engagement with the catches. l

1l. In combination, an elongated piercing member having a slot in its upper end; two catches spaced apart and pivoted in said slot; a locking member extending between said catches; a cable secured to said locking member; a spring connected with Said catches and tending to hold the latter apart; a ring encircling the top of the piercing member and holding the catches in locking engagement with' said locking members.; a pontoon slidably mounted on the cable and adapted to slide onto the piercing member; and means on the pontoon adapted to engage said ring and move the latter out of engagement with said catches.

12. In combination, an elongated piercing member; two catches pivoted inthe piercing member; a spring connected with said catches tending to separate 4the latter; a member engaging said catches and holding them against moving away from each other;

Va pontoon having ring members slidably mounted on the cable and adapted to slide on one of the ring members of the pontoon adapted to engage the member engaging` said catches and disengage such member from said catches.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication, on this Elst day of June A. I). 1917.

' JOHN T. COWLES. 

